Toward a muon collider and neutrino factory

Scientists around the world are developing the technologies necessary for a muon accelerator. The ultimate goal is to produce high-energy muon beams that can power a neutrino factory or a muon collider.

One of the key challenges for building a muon accelerator is the construction of an intense muon source. Physicists working on the MERIT experiment have successfully tested a muon source concept using a particle beam at CERN.

At Rutherford Laboratory in the United Kingdom, an international team of scientists known as the MICE collaboration is testing a technique called ionization cooling to create an intense, focused muon beam.

The Muon Accelerator Program (MAP) was created in 2010 to unify the DOE supported R&D in the U.S. aimed at developing the concepts and technologies required for Muon Colliders and Neutrino Factories. These muon based facilities have the potential to discover and explore new exciting fundamental physics, but will require the development of demanding technologies and innovative concepts. The MAP aspires to prove the feasibility of a Muon Collider within a few years, and to make significant contributions to the international effort devoted to developing Neutrino Factories. MAP was formally approved on March 18, 2011.